Ahaura TB Management Area (TMA)

Eradicating bovine TB in NZ

As part of our TBfree programme we deliver our pest control operations through a framework of TB management areas (TMAs). TMAs are areas with known TB infection in livestock or wildlife. Each TMA has a specific TB control plan designed to eradicate TB as effectively as possible.

The Ahaura TMA

The Ahaura TMA covers 35,700 hectares north of Greymouth on the true left of the Grey River from Kaimata to Waipuna. The area includes the townships of Ngahere, Nelson Creek and Ahaura.

The habitat consists of open farmland on the Ahaura plains and side valleys, surrounded by large areas of beech and pine forest, with willows, blackberry, gorse and broom along rivers. Altitudes range from just above sea level to 900 metres.

History of TB and pest control in Ahaura

The Ahaura TMA has a long history with TB infection. TB-infected pigs and possums have previously been captured in the nearby Hochstetter Forest area, and livestock in the TMA have been infected as a result of both wildlife and livestock movement. The most recent wildlife-related infection was in 2011 in the Ngahere area.

We completed ground-based possum control in the:

• Ngahere block and Grey Valley East in 2015/2016, and
• Ngahere block in 2020/2021 and 2022/2023.

We undertook aerial possum control in the:

• Ahaura block in 2009, and
• Nelson Creek block in 2015.

We completed pig surveys in the Ahaura and Nelson Creek blocks in 2019.

Current state

As of June 2023, there are no infected herds in the Ahaura TMA.

If you're moving animals

The Ahaura TMA is in the Tasman/West Coast Movement Control Area. Before you move cattle or deer to another herd or farm, you must have them tested for bovine TB.

Future pest control operations

We plan our pest control operations up to 3 years in advance. The current year runs from July 2023 to June 2024.

Dates and control methods for pest control operations in Ahaura are provisional and subject to change. If you’re affected by any upcoming operations, our pest control contractors will contact you before work begins. They will:

• talk you through the specifics of each operation
• explain what you need to do before the operations start
• get your consent for the work to be done.

Map of 2023/2024 pest control operations

The proposed area for ground control is marked on the map in green.

Interactive map showing Ahaura TMA boundaries, Vector Control Zone, and proposed control areas

Contacts

Vector Control Services manages eradication activities in the Ahaura TMA. Contact them directly if you have feedback or questions about upcoming operations.

Vector Control Services

Phone: 0508 141 268
Email: info@vcs.net.nz

Nearest local OSPRI office

OSPRI Christchurch Office
PO Box 8674
Riccarton
Christchurch 8440
Phone: 03 363 3090
Email: vectornsi@ospri.co.nz